Helmets and hosepipes time again … the Virgen del Carmen cometh

[Perikles]

I can't believe your muggers  fiesta committee set an amount per household. 

I was caught on the hop, as ever. What surprised me is they they expect people to have €70 cash in the house, and they expect people to be able to afford it. It was only by bad luck that I had any cash at all. Still, there is a different committee every year, and some don't know that our house exists, so every other year we don't have to pay anything.

I just treat it as a kind of IBI. Given that the official IBI is €35, it's not too painful, except that I'm conscious of having to pay for the noise that stops me sleeping for a night or two. They have absolutely no taste in music whatsoever. I don't even call it music.

[El Profesor]

They knocked on my door last week. I gave them about 1.50€. I thought that was quite nice of  me because I don't go to the fiesta.

[Janet]

Yes, but we're a tiny village, and it's a big fiesta ...   

[Perikles]

It's Tuesday morning, and the "music" was going on all night until 5.30-ish. Who are these people? 

The really irritating aspect of the weekend is the totally random explosions which were always unexpected. I really wish I had a few of those rockets to set off now, for the benefit of those morons who have only just gone to bed.

That's the end of the Virgin, she has buggered off for another 12 months and good riddance.

[Perikles]

So it's that weekend again. A few weeks ago we had a visit from a delegation of at least half a dozen locals who had walked up our hill to extract money for the event. This year I pleaded poverty and gave them €20 which is all I had in the house.

Last night was the firework display. Part of that was the image of the virgen lit up, displayed to all the village. In previous years, they have nailed this wrought-iron framework festooned with fireworks to a lamp-post and lit her there. Simple. This year? They excelled themselves. A large lorry with a crane turned up, blocked the road outside our house, and hoisted her up on a crane.

No doubt the effect as seen from the village was an improvement

From where I was standing, next to the lorry, it looked very much like an execution in Iran, with added fire torture.

[Janet]

They're back ... it's tonight ...

[Nova]

 

[Janet]

thankfully, Mr allotment (opposite) with the other allotment (down the hill - the one with the forbidden Vodafone mast) is still cross with the village and won't let them use the allotment the other side of the lane from us! So it's across the lane and two plots back for the fireworks, again ... our own private display and hopefully nothing will get set on fire this year because there's no wind, hasn't been a calima, and it's calm ...

[Michael]

I went for a stroll along the seafront here about an hour ago and there didn't seem to be much of anything happening.

Lots of stands etc. but none  of them open yet. 

[Janet]

give it time ...